1 Now it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the
young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’
garrison, that is on yonder side. But he didn’t tell his father. 2 Saul
abode in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in
Migron: and the people who were with him were about six hundred men; 3 and
Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of
Eli, the priest of Yahweh in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people didn’t know
that Jonathan was gone. 4 Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to
go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side,
and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and
the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose up on the north in front
of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. 6 Jonathan said
to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison
of these uncircumcised: it may be that Yahweh will work for us; for there is
no restraint to Yahweh to save by many or by few. 7 His armor bearer said
to him, Do all that is in your heart: turn you, behold, I am with you
according to your heart. 8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over
to the men, and we will disclose ourselves to them. 9 If they say thus to
us, Wait until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and
will not go up to them. 10 But if they say thus, Come up to us; then we
will go up; for Yahweh has delivered them into our hand: and this shall be
the sign to us. 11 Both of them disclosed themselves to the garrison of
the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out
of the holes where they had hid themselves. 12 The men of the garrison
answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will
show you a thing. Jonathan said to his armor bearer, Come up after me; for
Yahweh has delivered them into the hand of Israel. 13 Jonathan climbed up
on his hands and on his feet, and his armor bearer after him: and they fell
before Jonathan; and his armor bearer killed them after him. 14 That first
slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men,
within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land. 15 There was
a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the
garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked: so
there was an exceeding great trembling. 16 The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah
of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went
here and there. 17 Then said Saul to the people who were with him,
Number now, and see who is gone from us. When they had numbered, behold,
Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. 18 Saul said to Ahijah,
Bring here the ark of God. For the ark of God was there at that time
with the children of Israel. 19 It happened, while Saul talked to the
priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and
increased: and Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hand. 20 Saul and
all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the
battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there
was a very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who were with the
Philistines as before, and who went up with them into the camp, from the
country round about, even they also turned to be with the
Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise all the men of
Israel who had hid themselves in the hill-country of Ephraim, when they heard
that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the
battle. 23 So Yahweh saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by
Beth Aven. 24 The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had
adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food until it be
evening, and I be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted food.
25 All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground.
26 When the people were come to the forest, behold, the honey dropped: but
no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath. 27 But
Jonathan didn’t hear when his father charged the people with the oath:
therefore he put forth the end of the rod who was in his hand, and dipped it
in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were
enlightened. 28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Your father
directly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats
food this day. The people were faint. 29 Then said Jonathan, My father has
troubled the land. Please look how my eyes have been enlightened, because I
tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much more, if haply the people had
eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for now
has there been no great slaughter among the Philistines. 31 They struck of
the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very
faint; 32 and the people flew on the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and
calves, and killed them on the ground; and the people ate them with the
blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against
Yahweh, in that they eat with the blood. He said, you have dealt
treacherously: roll a great stone to me this day. 34 Saul said, Disperse
yourselves among the people, and tell them, Bring me here every man his ox,
and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat; and don’t sin against
Yahweh in eating with the blood. All the people brought every man his ox with
him that night, and killed them there. 35 Saul built an altar to Yahweh:
the same was the first altar that he built to Yahweh. 36 Saul said, Let us
go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the
morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. They said, Do whatever
seems good to you. Then said the priest, Let us draw near here to God.
37 Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? will
you deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he didn’t answer him that day.
38 Saul said, Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people; and know
and see in which this sin has been this day. 39 For, as Yahweh lives, who
saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there
was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40 Then said he to
all Israel, Be you on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the
other side. The people said to Saul, Do what seems good to you.
41 Therefore Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, Show the right.
Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot; but the people escaped.
42 Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. Jonathan
was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done.
Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the
end of the rod that was in my hand; and, behold, I must die. 44 Saul said,
God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan. 45 The people
said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in
Israel? Far from it: as Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head
fall to the ground; for he has worked with God this day. So the people
rescued Jonathan, that he didn’t die. 46 Then Saul went up from following
the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place. 47 Now when
Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on
every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against
Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and
wherever he turned himself, he put them to the worse. 48 He did
valiantly, and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands
of those who despoiled them. 49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and
Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the
name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: 50 and
the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the
captain of his host was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 51 Kish was
the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
52 There was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and
when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.
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